German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was in talks with allies about possible deliveries of heavy tanks to Ukraine, but warned that any statements must be made in unison with others..

" “We always work together with our allies and friends, we never go alone.”.

Scholz is being pressured by the allies to send German-made heavy Leopard battle tanks to Kyiv in case of intensification of hostilities in the spring. The Chancellor has been criticized for being cautious as he refrained from supplying heavy weapons, arguing that this could provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin to escalate the conflict in Ukraine..

Earlier this month, the chancellor got some breathing room with an agreement to send 40 Marder combat vehicles and a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine as part of a joint statement with the US, but calls for more powerful Leopard tanks continue..

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The UK on Saturday became the first country to confirm it would send its battle tanks to Ukraine, and European officials dealing with Berlin said they expect Germany to follow suit in the near future.. The government is expected to make a decision on the tanks ahead of a meeting of senior allied defense officials on Friday at the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany..

Scholz stressed that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine so that negotiations can take place, and that Germany will support Kyiv for as long as it takes..

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The German government is ready to provide Ukraine with dozens of German-made Leopard tanks, which can significantly increase the potential of Kyiv. Twelve other European countries have Leopards in their arsenal, but they need to get permission from Berlin before they can transfer the tanks.